I Will Always Find You
by bookworm131998
Summary: I remember the day I had to leave them. I wasn't my fault. It was the Erasers. They came and kidnapped me, never letting me see my family again. What happens when Max gets kidnapped? Will she ever find the flock again? What ever happened to Itex? *Re-written version*
1. Chapter 1

**To everyone who read the previous version of this story…thanks for staying with me! Thanks to Trapped in Narnia and maandfangforever for beta-ing! Sorry it took so long, I've been soooooo busy. Anywho, before I completely start rambling here's the story…..  
Ages:  
Max, Fang, Iggy = 23  
Nudge, Ella = 21  
Gazzy = 17  
Angel = 15**

**Max P.O.V.**

"Mommy! Mommy!" My two and a half year old said while jumping on my bed. "Get up!"

I laughed and ruffled her hair. Her midnight black hair was a rat's nest. It stuck out, pointing in all different directions. I looked into her onyx eyes and they reminded me of the life I had to leave behind. The family and friends I had to leave. Well, before I get to far ahead, I should probably start from the beginning…

_Flashback_

_The past week I had been getting sick in the morning. The only person that knew was Fang. He'd been telling me to tell mom, but I didn't think it was anything important, just the flu or something. Boy, was I wrong. _

_I had finally slipped to mom. She took my temperature, felt my pulse, everything, but she couldn't find out what was wrong. _

"_Max, have you been having weird food cravings lately?" she asked me. "Are you late?"_

_Confused, I confessed I had. She smiled, did she figure it out? "Mom. What are you smiling about?" _

"_Honey, I think you're pregnant…" _

_I stared dumbfounded at her. "Are you serious?" I asked her. She just nodded, a brilliant smile on her face._

_Later on that evening, she took me to her office and made me take a pregnancy test, cause there was _no way _I was going to a hospital._

_Positive._

Freaking Positive!

"_Max? Are you okay?" she asked from the other side of the door._

"_Mom…" my voice was faint and I could tell she could barely hear me. "It's positive." _

_The door swung open and I got engulfed in a hug. Mom's eyes were getting blurry. "C'mon, let's go home. You gotta tell Fang." _

_For the next two months Fang, mom and I hadn't told anyone. Not wanting to get everyone excited, than having a miscarriage wasn't going to be fun._

_The night we were going to spread the news, well…that's when all hell broke loose. For the next three years I wouldn't see my family or have any way of contacting them._

_End Flashback_

I couldn't think of what happened that day without going on the verge of tears.

"Mamma, was' wong?" Arianne said in her adorable voice.

I brushed some of her hair away from her face, "Nothing honey," I said my voice cracking. "Let's get you ready for school, m'kay?"

*Time Lapse to when Max is at work*

"Hi, I'm Max and I'll be your server, what can I get you?" Yes, you heard me right. _Me_ being nice to someone I don't know. Well, since I had no money to support us, I just _had_ to get a job. Did you catch the sarcasm?

"I'll take the breakfast burrito and black coffee, please." A lady with _red_ hair said, staring me down like I was a piece of trash.

"That'll be right out." I said with a fake smile plastered on my face.

Sighing, I walked back into the kitchen. Leaning against the counter I threw my pen and order booklet down.

"Another bad one?" Andy, the cook asked. He always knew when a customer pissed me off. Don't ask me how, he just knows.

I nodded my head and just closed my eyes, wanting to sleep forever. Then something slammed on the counter next to me, making my eyes fly open. Andy filled a cup of coffee – _the_ cup of coffee I was supposed to be serving.

I grabbed it and rolled my eyes, walking to the table.

"Excuse me, miss!" A customer yelled, waving me down. I looked at him and put my index finger up to show him 'one minute'. Some people just need to chill.

Here's a piece of advice: _Always_ watch where you are walking, cause you'll regret it if you don't. Next thing I knew, I felt something bump into me and felt burning hot coffee spill onto my bear legs. I didn't mention I was wearing shorts, did I? Oh, well, I was and it sucked.

I stifled and yelp and looked up to see who had bumped into me. I went to say 'Watch where you're going', but my voice got stuck in my throat. Why did those blonde curls look so familiar? And, those eyes, they were the brightest blue I had ever seen.

Oh. My. God.

It was Angel. But it was a teenager-version of her.

"Max?" she whispered, shock on her face.

**Sorry if any of this sounds confusing, and I know it does, but just stay with me cause it'll all come together in the next couple chapters!**

**Review please!**

**Note from maandfangforever: SHE IS AN EPICTASTICAL (yes, I made that word up) WRITER! I didn't change one thing and she had perfect grammar and spelling (as far as I know). :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is going to be Fang P.O.V. of what happened in the last chapter and a couple minutes before it, too. In the previous chapter I think I accidently Arianne for Max's daughter's name and I meant to put Arianna. I know it's not that big of a difference, I just didn't want to Arianna in this chapter instead of Arianne then someone asks who Arianna? It has happened before…..**

**To IggyLikesToExplode: I re-wrote it cause I felt like I could do a better job and add a lot more detail so you would actually feel like you're in Max's shoes.**

**Disclaimer: Max and everybody (except Arianna) belongs to James Patterson.**

_Previously: _

_It was Angel. But it was a teenager-version of her. _

"_Max?" she whispered, shock on her_ _face._

**Fang P.O.V.**

"I'm hungry." Nudge whined for the _tenth_ time in two minutes.

"Chill Nudge, I'm finding a place." I said.

We were flying back to Dr. M's place coming back from another search for Max. I know it's been three years, but did you honestly expect us to give up?

I remember when she told me we were expecting. At first I was shocked and very scared, then later I became over-joyed and couldn't wait.

"Fang!" Angel yelped in a panicked way interrupting my thoughts. "We have to go down there, _now_!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Nudge piped up. Angel just kept pointing and couldn't take her eyes off the building below us.

"No. No! It can't be!" she kept saying over and over, her eyes getting watery and a smile starting to form on her face.

"Can't be what?" Iggy asked, trying to calm her down.

She took a shaky breath, trying to control herself. "I picked up Max's thoughts." She says deathly calm. If you didn't see anything wrong with that sentence, you _might_ want to read it again.

"_Max_?" Gazzy choked out.

Angel nodded her head, with a look of confusion still on her face. She was probably thinking the same as all of us were. How could we not know that Max was one town over, this whole time?

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Iggy shouted. "Let's go!"

We landed in the parking lot, concealing our wings with sweatshirts. Walking around front, we tried to look normal (pfft, like that ever works…). Through the front window of the diner I saw a swish of blonde-brown hair and that was it. Walking inside I couldn't find her again. Where did she _go_?

"Ange, watch out." I heard Gazzy hiss and looked up to see her really close to the woman in front of her.

Just then Angel collided with the girl. She whirled around and my breath got caught in my throat.

_Max._

I heard Max try not to yelp as the hot coffee splashed down her legs. _Ouch_, that's gotta hurt.

"Max!" she whispered, unsure of what to do. "Max!" she shrieked this time as she tackled Max with a giant hug.

**Max P.O.V.**

There was no way of explaining how I felt right now. I mean, suddenly seeing your family that you've been looking for, for three years? How would _you_ react?

Then getting hugged and having coffee spilled on you, _again_? Not my idea of fun. I placed the coffee down on the table next to me and wrapped my arms around Angel. Honestly, I could care less about the coffee burn right now.

She pulled her head up and her cheeks were tear-stained. I looked up and saw the rest of the flock beside us.

I put my free arm out and Nudge ran to me. I brushed the hair out of her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. I stepped over to Gazzy and he threw his arms around me. God, he was taller than me now.

Feeling my eyes get wet, I wiped them with the back of my hand. He stepped back and I could see he was trying hard not to cry. My little trooper.

"What about me?" Iggy asked, he voice barely a whispered.

I let out a small laugh and wrapped arms around him and hugged him tightly. He let go and turned me around to face Fang with a smirk on his face.

I looked up at Fang and threw my arms around his neck as he snaked his arms around my waist. He lifted me up so I was standing up on my toes.

"I missed you so much." I barely heard him say. Tears were running down my face, soaking into his shirt. He set me back down and I realized what a scene we were making. "Oh, god. What happened? We thought we'd never see you."

"Let's sit. I'll explain." My voice cracking. I made my way over to a booth with the Flock following closely behind. We sat down and Andy brought us drinks, apparently seeing what had happened. I mean, who wouldn't? We were kinda in the middle of the diner…

"Hey, Max? Where's the baby?" Angel asked and I started choking on the Pepsi I was drinking.

How. The. _Hell_. Did. She. Find. Out?

"_That's all you, Fang, and Dr. M would think about."_ She said to me in my head.

I saw Fang's eyes widen and his face pale. Iggy and Gazzy looked at me with identical looks of confusion and Nudge's mouth was hanging open.

"Uhhh…." Was all I could come up with. Smooth, Max, just _smooth_.

"What baby Max? Did you have a baby? You weren't pregnant when…ummm…you left…were you? You were! Why didn't you tell us? When were you going to tell us? You were going to righ – " she got cut off when Gazzy smacked his hand over her mouth.

"Relax Nudge, I'll explain it all, okay?" She nodded her head in agreement and Gazzy took his hand off her mouth.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Re-opening them, I started my story. "When I found out I was pregnant, I only told mom and Fang."

"How did Angel find out?" Iggy asked.

"She read our minds." I turned to look at Angel with a smirk on my face. She smiled back angelically with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Anyway, we didn't tell you because we didn't want to let everyone know, then something happen to the baby…." I trailed off, looking at the faces of everyone around me. "The night we were going to tell you guys, well that's when…the attack happened." I said the last part in a whispered, trying to rid the memory from my mind.

I felt something warm slid into my hand. Looking down, I saw Fang's hand grasping onto mine. I gave him a small smile. "Later when I had her –"

"It's a girl? Aw, that's so sweet! ZOMG! When she grows up I can dress her up and put make-up on her and make her all pretty! Oh what about on her first dat –" She shut up when I glared at her.

"Max?" Gazzy asked.

"Hmm?"

"What's her name?"

I chuckled at that, remembering the whole reason I named her what I did. "Arianna, but Ari for short." I got a bunch of different looks at that. "You know, since Ari really turned out to be good in the end…."

"That's adorable." Angel whispered.

"What time is it?" I asked urgently, forgetting that I had to pick up Ari from pre-school.

"3 o'clock." Gazzy said, looking at his watch. "Why?"

"I have to get Ari from pre-school." I stood up and turned and faced them.

"You guys coming?" I asked.

…

**So how did you guys like it? Was it good? Bad? Do I need to add anything?**

**Soon I won't be able to update so frequently cause school is starting in a week and a half and I still have to do summer reading and all the jazz. **_**Fun**_**. **

**Review? Oh, and before I forget check out my poll.**

**maandfangforever: Review people. I mean it. She is an awesome writer. She deserves the thirty seconds to two minutes of your time where you tell her what you think. If you don't review I will send emo bunnies (courtesy of imeanemo) after you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update :/, I've been so busy. But I'm back!**

**Has anyone ever read Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon? If you did, is it good? Should I read it?**

**Disclamer: I don't own Maximum Ride. James Patterson does.**

_"3 o'clock." Gazzy said, looking at his watch. "Why?"_

_"I have to get Ari from pre-school." I stood up and turned and faced them._

_"You guys coming?" I asked._

...

That got smiles from the younger kids and they jumped up. I told them I'd be right back and for them to meet me outside. Walking into the back of the restaurant and signed out.

"Andy, I'm taking a vacation day!" I said, throwing the booklet and pen on the counter and sped out of there like Hell was chasing me. I met the Flock back outside the entrance.

"How are we getting there?" Angel asked before I could say anything.

"Umm, well I'm pretty that sure everyone can fit into my car –"

"Woah! Max driving!? When did that happen?!" Iggy interrupted. That earned laughs from everyone, including me.

"-but someone is gonna have to sit on someone else's lap, okay?" I said.

We walked around the side of the building, to the employee parking lot. I stood next to a silver Ford Falcon, (not sure how to describe it...link at the end of the chapter.). Gazzy and Fang looked at it like it was freaking gold bars.

"Where did you get this car? It's awesome!" Gazzy said jumping up and down.

"I found it and hot-wired it." I said with a grin on my face. "C'mon let's go."

I got in front seat with Fang next to me in the passenger seat. In the back, Nudge was squished in the middle with Gazzy and Iggy on either side of her, and Angel on her lap.

"Jeez, Ange." Nudges wheezed and squirmed. "How much do you weigh?"

"Not as much as you." Angel retorted.

Nudged just mumbled something unintelligible and sat still.

Throughout the entire ride, Nudge went on and on how she couldn't wait to dress up Ari, paint her nails, and give her a 'fabulous makeover'. I sighed sadly, Ari won't even see it coming.

Pulling up to the school, I hopped out and told then I'd be right back. I could feel their eyes following me as I walked towards the building.

"Momma!" Ari screeched when she saw me. I picked her up and swung her onto my hip. "Guess wha' I did?"

"What honey?"

"I wen' on da pway grwound!" I laughed at how the slightest things made her so excited. I brushed her hair behind her ear. It's like I'm holding a mini-Fang. I can't wait to see their expressions when they see her.

I set her back down and grabbed her bag and lunchbox.

"There's a surprise waiting for you in the car." I told her.

"Wha' is it? Wha' is it?" she said, bouncing up and down.

"I can't tell you. Otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise." Ari huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Come on sweetie, let's go." I took her hand left the room.

"Hi Jessa," I said and waved to the woman in the office.

"Hey Max." she waved back. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot to tell you that tomorrow is show and tell and –" Jessa went on and on about how Ari's day was and some other stuff, but honestly, did you expect me to listen? No.

Finally, Jessa stopped talking and went to take a phone call. I said my goodbyes and turned around and – where was Ari?

"Ari? Arianna!" Where could she have gone? I wasn't talking for more than three minutes! I heard a giggle near to the door and saw her with her face pressed up against the glass. On the other side, Angel and Nudge were kneeling down and playing with her through the door.

I laughed and walked up to her.

"What are you doing?" I asked, crouching down to her level.

"Peek-A-Boo!" she said and clapped her hands together.

I stood up and opened the door. Ari bolted out and ran right up to Angel. She covered her eyes with her hands, than took them off, yelling 'Peek-A-Boo!'.

She laughed uncontrollably and, jeez was her laugh contagious. By the time Iggy, Gazzy and Fang came over, all four of us were laughing so hard we were almost crying. It felt so good to just laugh with everyone again.

"What's so funny?" Iggy asked.

"Oh, nothing." Angel said sweetly.

We just smiled at the guys, giving them sweet smiles. Not realizing Ari was attached to my leg, I put my hand on her back, urging her forward. Fang's faced look very pale and I know that he was freaking out inside.

"It's Fang in a little girl form!" Gazzy yelled.

"Who ar yu?" Ari said obviously offended and put her hands on her hips. I laughed at my daughter's attitude towards him.

"Damn Max, she got your attitude." Gazzy said. That deserved a well-earned slap on the back of the head from none other than, moi.

"Gazzy!" Angel scolded. "Don't curse! Especially around a two year-old!"

"I awmost free!" Ari said, holding up four fingers.

"Awww!" Nudge cooed and picked up Ari, who was showing Nudge her front teeth.

Fang looked shocked. His face was pale and his eyes were bulging out of his head. Iggy was shaking his head in laughter when someone, Gazzy I think, had told him what happened.

"Wha's wong wif his eyes?" I heard Ari whispered to Nudge not so softly.

"Ari!" I scolded. "That's not very nice."

"It's okay Max." Iggy said.

Ari got put down and Iggy bent down next her.

"I'm blind." Iggy told her. "It means I can't see anything. But, I can feel colors." He reached his hand up and smoothed down her hair. "Like right now, I can tell that your hair is really black, right?"

Ari nodded her head in amazement.

"Also, your shoes are black with a purple butterfly on them." She laughed and jumped up and down. She kept bringing things to Iggy for him to tell her what color they were.

"I'm not trying to be pushy," Fang said. "But we should start to leave, look at the clouds." The sky was turning a dark gray almost black color. It was going to pour any minute now.

"We have to go to Dr. M's!" Gazzy said.

I smiled at the thought of seeing my mom and Ella. After getting Ari's car seat from the trunk, I placed it in the back seat; which made less room for Iggy, Gazzy, Angel, and Nudge to sit.

"Wher' we goin?" Ari asked me as I buckled her in.

"To your grandmom's house." I told her and gave me a look of confusion, considering I never told her about my mom.

"Max?" Nudge asks softly a couple minutes later.

"Hmmm?"

"Are you gonna live with us now?" I looked at her through the mirror. Her eyes were glassed over with unshed tears. Underneath she was still the twelve year old kid I remember.

"I don't see why not." I finally answered.

Cheers erupted from the back seat and I smiled. Finally everyone was back together and happy. Now life could just stay like this.

We pulled up to what looked like an older Victorian house. It was completely white, with light beige finishing around the doors and windows. The house towered over the surrounding houses with its three stories.

"When did you guys move here?" I asked, completely astonished and in awe.

They all looked at each like they shared some kind of secret. Fang eventually answered. "We'll tell you tonight, than you can tell us what you've been doing."

"Ok," I agreed, confused why they weren't telling me. Was it because Ari was in the car?

"Let's go!" Angel said and climbed over everyone in the back just to open the door. Everyone got out except Fang, Ari and I.

I was the Maximum Ride. I could do this.

"You guys go in," Fang told them. "We'll be in, in a minute." They sighed reluctantly, but they went inside.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, grabbing onto my hand.

I took a shaky breath. "I guess as okay as I'll ever be." I said, trying to give him a smile.

"Hey, relax." He said in a voice that was surprisingly quiet, even for Fang. "Everything will turn out just fine, alright."

"It's just I was gone for three years, Fang. Three years! How is she gonna react? Wha – " I got cut off when he leaned across the console and kissed me, it was a sweet I-missed-you-so-much kiss.

We pulled back at looked at each other, grinning stupidly.

"I think I'm ready now." I said and opened the door.

…

**Max's Car: www. goauto. com. au/mellor/mellor. nsf/ganews?readform&make=Ford&model=Falcon &start=2**

**(take out the spaces) and please check out my poll! Thanks maandfangforever and TrappedInNarnia!**

**To Guest: I know that Ari was evil in the last book, but when I wrote that part, Nevermore wasn't out yet. Soooo, I had no way of knowing he was evil in the last book. Also, wasn't the Ari in the last book a clone anyway?**

**From maandfangforever: The usual, emo bunnies (courtesy of imeanemo) will come after you if you don't review. And if I see any flames in the reviews you and I will have WORDS.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update it's just that school has taken over my life and I've been super busy doing other things…well, hope you like it!**

_"It's just I was gone for three years, Fang. Three years! How is she gonna react? Wha – " I got cut off when he leaned across the console and kissed me, it was a sweet I-missed-you-so-much kiss._

_We pulled back at looked at each other, grinning stupidly._

_"I think I'm ready now." I said and opened the door._

…

The Flock was waiting for us on the porch. Nudge and Angel were sitting on the porch swing, quietly chatting to each other; Iggy was pushing Gazzy around and teasing him. It seemed as though nothing had changed, it seemed as if I was never gone.

"You know, this is the happiest I've seen them since you left." Fang whispered to me.

I smiled and set Ari down on the porch. She waddled over to Angel, and sat next to her.

_Do you think you guys could take Ari to the park? _I thought to Angel. She nodded slightly to me and stood up.

"C'mon," she said, grabbing Ari's hand. "Let's go to the park, and _yes_ Iggy, you have to come."

After they had left, I was just standing there, taking in the events of the day. I knew Fang was letting me gather my bearings before we headed inside. He put his hand on my wrist and turned me to face him.

"Hey…" he said, brushing my bangs out of my face. "Whatever happens in there, I'll always be here, okay?"

My face broke into a small smile, god, I'd missed him so much. I nodded and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

Facing the door, I raised my hand, but stopped. What was I doing? Why was I freaking out? Okay Max, just knock, that's all ya gotta do. You fought off countless Whitecoats and Erasers, endured hundreds of hours of painful injections and you can't even knock on your own mother's door?

Putting his hand on mine, he moved it back down to my side. Instead of knocking, Fang just turned the knob and opened the door. Show-off.

It opened up to what looked like a family/sitting room, but don't let that fool you, signs that the flock lived here were everywhere. Nudge and Angel's magazines were scattered everywhere, Fang's laptop was buzzing to life on the coffee table, and Gazzy and Iggy's "inventions" were dangling from the side of the two couches and the ceiling fan.

"Dr. Martinez?" Fang said, his voice echoing softly through the house.

"In here Fang," she said. I froze in fear, after two years of thinking I was never going to hear her voice again…well that can send a chill through you. Fang smirked at my nervousness, so like the mature person I was; I "softly" hit him on the arm.

He chuckled and grabbed my hand.

"I'm in the kitchen." She said.

The next few steps were a daze as I tried to comprehend what was about to happen. I vaguely remember passing a set of stairs and a couple of doors, then we were suddenly standing in front of a door frame.

There she was, just standing there with her back towards us.

"What was it you needed, Fang?" she asked. Noticing he didn't answer, she turned to face him, but stopped short when she saw me standing here.

"Max?" she said, her face showing shock.

"Hey mom," I said. My voice was scratchy and I trying not to get upset, but my eyes were already getting blurry. Damn, too much crying in one day.

"Max," she said again, breathlessly, and took a step towards me. Before she could take another step, I just ran to her and threw my arms around her neck. My head rested on her shoulder and I let every tear, every worry, and every fear I ever had out. We just held onto each other like the world depended on it. Her hands brushed my hair down, and she took my face in her hands.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where were you?"

"That's what we all want to know," Fang said from behind us.

I had been so caught up, that I had completely forgotten he was standing behind us. I stepped back and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

"I'd rather explain while everyone else is here," I whispered and hiccupped.

"That's fine," she said. "C'mon sit down, you're probably tired and hungry and –"

"Mom," I said, laughing a little. "I'm fine."

She sat me down in a dining room chair and started busying herself in the kitchen. Fang sat on my left and grabbed my hand, sitting there in silence was just what I needed right now. Soon enough the smell the chocolate was floating through the room. Placing a huge plate of chocolate-chip cookies in front of us, Mom sat down next to me.

She just looked at me. I now know how she feels when she just looks at me or when she never lets go when we hug. Ever since Ari was born it's like my maternal instincts were even more powerful than before.

"Max." she said. "Are you okay? Where are you staying at? Wha – What happened to the baby?" she asked softly. "Do they know?"

I smiled and thought back on how the Flock reacted when they found out I was pregnant and didn't tell them right away.

"Yea," I said wistfully. "They know…she's actually with them now."

"She…" Mom said softly.

The squeak of the door interrupted us. The shuffle of feet and someone whisper/yelling my name, told us that the flock was back.

Iggy was carrying Ari, who was asleep, in his arms walking around the living room and wasn't sure where to lay her down. I put my hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Here, let me take her." I whispered. I carried her so her head was resting on my shoulder. I turned to mom, and went to ask if I could lay Ari down in one of the spare bedrooms. Without even opening my mouth, she beckoned me to follow her. She took so many twists and turns, I could barely keep track of where we were going.

We stopped in front of an off white colored door. It was standing ajar and when she opened it, late afternoon sunlight filtered through the window on the wall across from the door. The walls were a light pink, with dark purple swirls over some of the pink.

"This was Angel's old room," Mom said. "She wanted a bigger room, so she switched to one that's connected to Nudge's room."

I laid Ari down softly on the bed in the corner. Tucking her in, I brushed her hair back from her face. Mom watched from a few feet away.

"She looks so much like you, she's beautiful," Mom said softly and was walking over towards us. She stood at the edge of the bed, cooing over Ari. "What's her name?"

"Arianna. Ari for short,"

"Ari…" she whispered, trying the name out on her lips for the first time.

I cracked a smile, "She acts so much like Fang; stubborn, infuriating, and a fighter."

She put her arms around me and hugged me tightly. "I know what it's like to have to take care of a child so young, I had to do it with Ella." She sighed. "After her father left us, we were on our own. Just know that you aren't alone with this, we are all going to be here whenever you need us."

"Thank you," I whispered barely loud enough for her to hear.

"C'mon, we should go back," she said, pulling back from me.

We walked back to the dining room where everyone was sitting down, chatting softly among themselves.

"Max!" Nudged jumped up when she saw us walk in. "Try this!" she handed me a bubbling mug of brown liquid.

"What _is_ it?" I asked, completely confused on what it could be. Do people seriously drink this stuff?

"Its hot chocolate," Angel said, trying not to laugh at my expression. "Just try it, it's good!"

I hesitantly took a sip…and it was like my mom's chocolate-chip cookies, but in a liquid form! Who ever invented this was genius!

The Flock laughed at my facial expression and I just glared at them, sadly it didn't work and I ended up laughing right along with them.

After we were seated and were chatting aimlessly, Iggy brought up the topic I'd been dreading to talk about.

"Max, what do you remember from that day?" he asked me.

My mouth went dry and the hot chocolate suddenly felt cold in my hands.

"Umm, well I know they surrounded us and…we broke through, but then everything slowly started going fuzzy and I couldn't control my body. It was weird, like I got drugged, but I don't know when that could've happened. I – I don't remember much after that…" I trailed off. "It's like my vision was going fuzzy. I know there was fire and smoke everywhere, than…I'm waking up in a dark room."

Nudge had tears prickle at the corner of her eyes. The others just looked at me with sympathy and worry and guilt, like it was their fault.

"I'm so sorry," Gazzy whispered.

"Why are you sorry, Gaz?" I asked, utterly surprised.

"Because it was my idea to get the bombs; the ones that cause the fire," His voice was rapidly getting softer and I had to strain to hear what he was saying. "And because of the fire, we lost you, the house burnt down, and all of us almost died." He had tears tracking down his cheeks.

I stood up and pulled him up with me, in those three years I wasn't home, he must have grown at least six inches. I pulled him close and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back and we stayed like that until I felt someone hugging me from the side and I realized it was Angel. Nudge was next, coming into our little sob-fest/hug-circle. Soon enough all six of us were holding onto each other.

We soon broke away from each other and as soon as I sat back down, something occurred to me and I wondered why I hadn't thought of it earlier. Why wasn't Ella home?

"Wait," I said as I scooted closer to Fang. "Where's Ella?"

"She's at college," Iggy groaned and laid his head on the back of the chair. "Ugh, don't remind me."

"She's going to the community college a couple towns over," Gazzy clarified for me.

"Iggy's been complaining ever since she left." Nudge said and continued to tease him.

I laughed right along with her. It seemed just like Iggy to act this way, when he and Ella had first become a couple, they would never go anywhere without each other, following each other around like dogs. It was crazy, and considering he was acting like this now, I had a feeling it was still somewhat happening.

My mind went back to what we were talking about in the kitchen. Nothing really made any sense that day, or the days and weeks after. They had drugged me so much I couldn't tell up from down or left from right.

" – ax. Max!" I blinked my eyes a few times, coming out of my daze.

"You alright, Max?" Mom asked.

"Yea," I said. "Just…thinking."

"About…" she trailed, unsure if she should bring it up.

I nodded. "I'm trying to figure out what happened that day but, like I said, I don't remember." There was an eerie silence that followed, one that I thought I'd hear from the Flock. I leaned against Fang and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Where did they take you?" Nudge asked hesitantly.

"The School." I said bluntly. There was silence again, waiting for me to go on. "I didn't even realize I was there, until a few days later when I woke up. They had told me I'd been out for three days, but you can't ever believe anything that comes outta their mouths. It was a lot worse than when we were all there, they injected us –"

"Us?!" Fang said angrily. "As in you _and_ Ari?"

I nodded grimly. "Yea, both of us. They injected us with needles full of God-knows-what. I – I can't talk about it now, it one of the worst things I've ever been through." My voice was starting to waver. "They would sometimes bring me around the building with them; there were some many different hallways, and so many cells with – with _hundreds_ of other experiments just…lying on the floor. You could tell some of them were on the brink of death, just having to stay there for _days_ without food or water."

I shook my head, telling them I couldn't talk about it right now. Fang's arm was wrapped around me and I was grasping his hands in mine.

"What I wanna know," Angel said. "Was why this whole thing happened in the first place?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Why did they come after us after they left us alone for years?"

"I – I don't know, they didn't say anything about why they brought me there…" We all thought about this for a few minutes and nothing came to us.

"You know what?" Iggy said getting up from his chair. "I'm gonna go make a chocolate cake cause one: they're good and two: we need to stop talking about depressing stuff tonight and be happy that Max is back!"

"Make it double chocolate, Ig." I said laughing. He saluted and walked off like an idiot, but he was our idiot. Soon enough the smell of melted chocolate came floating through the house and he placed a giant – and I mean _giant_ mishappened cake in the middle of the table.

And just like that we were one big family laughing and chatting like nothing had ever come between us and torn us apart, like I never left. Some hours later, after we had watched a good amount of TV and all the shows were running together, I realized I should have gone to check on Ari, with her being in a new place.

After making sure she was okay, I (amazingly) found my way back to the living room ."I think I'm gonna go lay down, if that's okay." I said.

"Of course you can," Mom said. "I think we all should soon, it's getting late and it's been a long day for all of us."

I hugged the Flock goodnight and followed Nudge since I was using the room acrossed the hall from her and Angel's rooms.

"You probably don't have something to sleep in with you, right?" she asked, walking into her room.

"Nope."

"Here," she said, handing me a small lump of clothes.

"Thanks Nudge." I said and put my arm around her.

"It's really good to have you back." She whispered. I drew back and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Night Max."

"Goodnight," I said and crossed the hall to my room.

I changed into the pajamas I borrowed from Nudge and curled up in the queen sized bed. It felt cold to me somehow. I hadn't been sharing a bed with anyone since my last day at the old house, and it did feel strange without Fang by my side, but I never felt as lonely as I did now. Was it because I had grown used to having him back in those short hours we saw each other today?

I told myself not to worry about it too much and just to be happy that everyone is back together again and that nothing will ever bring us apart again, but of course my brain just didn't want to listen to me, did it? No.

I must have eventually fallen asleep, because my body jerked awake when a creaking noise came from the door. I rolled over and opened my eyes just so I could see a silhouette standing in the doorway.

Fang.

"Max?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

"I am now." I said back and sat up.

He smiled at me, one of those rare smiles that he seems to do only when we are alone. He walked over to me and slowly and carefully sat down on the edge on the bed, like it was afraid it was glass and would shatter into a million pieces.

Without hesitating, I threw myself at him and held on tight. He pulled me into his lap and stroked my hair. The silence around us was comfortable, not awkward, not nervous, but very peaceful; something I hadn't felt in a long time.

Desperately trying to stay awake, but epically failing, I barely remember Fang laying me back down under the blankets. I woke up just enough to grab him hand as he started to get up.

"Stay," I whispered.

He quickly walked to the other side of the bed and laid down beside me, not bothering to get under the covers. I curled up against him and rested my head on his chest. As soon as my eyes were close, I fell asleep, and it was the best sleep I'd had in a long time.

…

**I just wanna thank everyone who reviewed and followed and favorite and put up with me not updating for about a month and a half and more, sorry about that. I think this is the longest chapter I ever wrote, haha. I can try to write more like this, and it will defiantly take longer, but no promises! Don't forget to review! **

**Question:**

**What are you being for Halloween?**

**BN: Okay, first, I'll answer bookworm's question. Female Fang. Next, review, I do have the capabilities to ensure this. I have Nudge's, that will give you (including you guys, because let's face it, MR is too good for just the girls) makeovers and talk your ears off. Teehee. Just kidding, but you people should seriously review, I would, but I'm her beta, so I get to put my review here! And virtual high-five to bookworm for the long chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys!

Sorry if you thought this was a chapter, but it's an importantish note. I am going on vacation starting tomorrow and I will be coming back home on December 3rd, so during that time I will probably not be able to write a lot, or many not at all. But, once I get back I will try to update date as soon as possible.

~B


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